Welcome to Freebie Friday, where everything is free.
Freebie Spotlight
Free coffee Oct. 12-18 at RaceTrac
In an effort to encourage busy commuters not to “drool and drive.” Guests can grab a free cup of coffee, any size,...

Five things for today in Orlando and Central Florida: FHP trooper's U-turn causes terrible accident; development restarts near Lake Apopka; congratulations for doing the right thing; and more.
1. An 8-year-old girl was truck by a truck Wednesday night...

If hiking in the woods isn't your thing, Central Florida's paved trails give a more urban taste of nature.
Walkers, runners, cyclists, pet owners — all cross paths on the many miles of trails, which often avoid major intersections via bridges or tunnels....

Roger Hammer has been called a walking botany book. People who meet him today at the third annual Wings and Wildflowers Festival can ask him anything about wildflowers, native orchids and plants and the Everglades.
The award-winning naturalist, author,...

Welcome to Freebie Friday, where everything is free.
Get free coffee on National Coffee Day, Sept. 29
Dunkin’ Donuts
Guests can walk into any participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant in the Orlando area and receive a free medium cup of Dunkin’...

Freebie Spotlight
Free small coffee at McDonald's
From Sept. 16 to Sept. 29, guests can enjoy a free small hot or iced McCafé coffee during breakfast hours at any of the McDonald’s restaurants across Central Florida.
Coming Soon!...

We live in an area that has a lot of wetlands that have been impacted in negative ways. Some wetlands have dried up over time, due mostly to development resulting in lowering the surface-water table. This shortage of water has caused a major decline in...

In a primary marked by low turnout, Orange County voters elected Commissioner Jennifer Thompson to a second term Tuesday and sent two other commission races to Nov. 4 runoffs.
Thompson will represent District 4 in southeast Orange County for another four...

WHAT: The Crealde School of Art's "Lake Harvest" exhibit is on view for the first time in Winter Garden.
Through photos, "The Last Harvest: A History and Tribute to the Life and Work of the Farmworkers on Lake Apopka" documents the...

The Crealdé School of Art moves into its 40th year with a full slate of professional and student artist exhibitions, old favorites such as the annual holiday sale and special exhibits saluting the school's anniversary, Lake Apopka farmworkers and...

Avian Pointe, a new residential community proposed for Apopka's west side, was drafted with the city's future in mind.
The 95-acre project, unveiled to the public this week, would sit near State Road 429 just two miles from the future site of Florida...

Cyclists love the twisty, turny, hilly Green Mountain Scenic Byway, which starts in Oakland as County Road 438 and heads west to Lake County, where it becomes Old Highway 50, then County Road 455. It takes through some of Central Florida's biggest...

TALLAHASSEE – Lawmakers trying to divide $1.3 billion in surplus cash haggled through the weekend over hometown water and education projects, health-care needs and hundreds of other dueling spending priorities.
The Republican-controlled Legislature has...

We hear a lot about Central Florida's paved bike trails but less about the even more abundant unpaved hiking trails. Here are seven gems all within an hour's drive of downtown Orlando: Florida Trail, Flagler Trail,

Help Zimmerman cope
The continuing news about George Zimmerman and his run-ins with the law give me pause. When a person is charged with a crime and found not guilty — but remains a target of attention — steps should be taken to help that individual cope...

The low growl, grunt and bark of alligators call out in the morning.Home of alligators, herons, ospreys, egrets and eagles, Lake Apopka is Florida's fourth-largest lake. The natural beauty belies the sad story of the lake. Once anglers visited, hoping...